The Essence of Childhood
by Lady Malady
Summary: TeenAU: Alfred has dragged all of his friends into a dangerous and life changing adventure filled with rule-breaking, lies, mysteries, and a love triangle. All in his selfish effort be the perfect "hero".


Warning: Human names used (in all chapters), some cursing, and boyXboy in later chapters. Warnings will be put at the beginning of each chapter when needed. Hope you enjoy! Read and review :3!

**Chapter 1**

_Five more minutes . . ._

Alfred stared at the clock anxiously; he couldn't wait to get out of school. It was friday, and everyone who was anyone knew what went down on Friday.

It meant staying up late all night working on their new clubhouse. Yes, any childs', or young eighth graders', dream was to have a club house of their very own. The good ol' 'no siblings allowed' type of club house, and only a select number of friends were allowed.And they were _definitely_ going to finish tonight. Especially with that new Russian man to help them.

When Mr. Braginski came into town, everyone was afraid of him. He had this sort of an intimidating, erie aura. No one talked to him. Even though he lived in a very friendly culdesac, where everyone knew everybody, no one spoke to him. Anyone could even go as far as saying they avoided him. Especially with that creepy smile he wore all the time.

Alfred's mom says he's a pedophile.

The kids in the neighborhood stayed clear of him too. That is until one day when the kids were playing soccer on the pavement of the culdesac, he randomly appeared out of no where, with that same creepy smile on his face. At first the children were going to run. But were stopped when he said, "Can I play too?" So they let him play out of the fear of upsetting him.

But by the end of the game, they liked him. He wasn't like all the other adults. He's was like a kid.

_Two more minutes . . ._

And from that day forward, he was perfectly accepted.

_One more minute! . . ._

Well among the kids anyway.

_**Ding Ding Ding!**_

There was the bell, and all the students ran out the room. Not even bothering to listen to the rest of the teacher's sentence. All the students ran out the room without hesitation, except for the one who wanted to leave the most. He was so focused on the clock, he forgot to pack up. _"Damn it! I'm going to be late!" _With scattered papers falling behind him, that he decided weren't important, he made his way out last.

As he raced through the halls and made out the entrance, he saw the busses being loaded with kids in his school. He wouldn't go on today though. He'd head strait to his culdesac, down the dirt path to the forest, and surly he'd meet his other friends. At times, he'd feel bad on his way there though. He was currently lying to his mother that he had after school activities. But in Alfred's defense, his mother would never let him fulfill his club house dreams if he didn't.

To the culdesac . . .

Down the path . . .

And into the thick forest, where the path is even more worn down, and grass had started to grow on it. He looked around, panting hard from running, and wondered where every one was.

"Privet, Alfred." That familiar creepy voice purred behind him. Alfred turned, not scared at all. "Sup, Ivan! Where is everyone?" He was wearing a tank top, probably the one he wears under that huge coat, and that white scarf he wears all the time.

He smiled and tilted his head innocently. "In your rush you took a wrong turn. It's over there." He pointed in the direction behind him. "Oops, sorry man! The hero wasn't paying attention!" When they first became friends, Russia often questioned why he called himself a 'hero.' But came to accept it, just like everyone else. "Next time, you should pay attention to where your going. You'll get lost, never to be found again."

"Oh relax, I never get lost! Don't get all adult-like on me!"

"Hmm, alright then. But let's go now. We have allot of work to do." Alfred nodded and followed Russia to the club house being built. He saw everyone working hard at the job they were assigned to.

Ludwig Bäcker was reading some instructions religiously to Tino Väinämöinen. Who got yelled at every time he messed up even on the tiniest detail. Feliciano Vargas was decorating the inside with home-made crocheted rugs and other various things he was so good at making. Arthur Kirkland was instructing Francis Bonnefoy where to hammer down the nails, surprisingly not arguing. And Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and Lovino Vargas were trying to make the crude furniture.

Alfred's arrival caught the attention of everyone. "Where the bloody hell were you?" Arthur asked. It was funny how Arthur asked though. It sounded mean and angry, but deep down it was laced with concern. "Haha! Sorry I'm late you guys . . . in my rush to get here I took the complicated way, because I'm so smart. But I got distracted! By a . . . a baby bird in peril!"

"Oh! That sounds terrible! Is it okay?" Asked Feliciano.

"Yea, dude! He's fine, I-"

"He's lying."

"Wha-? Ivan how could you?"

He laughed. "I found him running aimlessly through the forrest. He was going in the complete opposite direction of the club house." Everyone giggled, which caused Alfred to blush a little. But he acted no different of course, because heros never get embarrassed.

England shook his head. "Lying is a terrible habit, Alfred."

"Hey! It's not as if I'm the only one who lies!" Of course, Arthur, and the rest of the group, shut up. They all told their parents similar lies so they could go off and work on their project.

After debating what would be the most entertaining, Alfred chose the station Arthur and Francis were doing. Walking up to them, he noticed the backs of Arthur's wrists. The were scratched up and purple with what seemed to be a new bruise. Like they'd, or hit way to hard. "Damn man, your hands look horrible." Arthur glared at him dangerously, and shyly tucked his hands away. He also got a rough elbow to the stomach from Francis. "Sorry!" He apologized.

He didn't mean it though. It was stupid of the American boy to comment on such a touchy subject.

"Uh, I'm sorry Arthur. I didn't mean it! I was just shocked is all." Ivan once threatened to kill whoever did that to him multiple time, and they clarify to the man that it was from his family. And even after they did that, the group still had to beg him not to do anything dangerous. "Yea whatever," he uttered. "It looks great, huh?"

"Hell yea it does!" Alfred took a few steps back and gazed at his work of art with pride as the others joined him. "And it's all ours."

"All we need to do is put on the roof then we're done." Arthur looked over at Ivan. "Could you help us lift it?"

"No problem." He said smiling as usual. The roof had already been made, they just needed to put it on, the nail it down. The group went over to help Ivan pick it up, but he did it all by himself no problem.

Ivan didn't put it on dramatically like they expected, he just put on.

He stood back with the children and gaped at it.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

It even looked professional. It wasn't that big, but everyone had their own spot at the round table in the center of the room. There were also benches that were attached to the club house, and windows with colorful drapes, made by Feliciano. And with the help of Ivan, the door was lockable.

After Arthur and Francis had nailed the roof down, they all went in. It was just high enough for the roof to graze Ivan's head. They all chose their spots dramatically at the round table.

"Ahem," Ludwig cleared his throat as he claimed the head of the table. "I propose that we do not call this a clubhouse." Before anyone could protest he talked again. "I propose that it should be called . . . a meeting house. Everyone in favor raise your hands." Ludwig raised his hand, an so did Tino, silently urging the crowd with his eyes.

And slowly, everyone raised their hands. "Meeting adjourned."

"Mom, I'm home!" Alfred walked through the door casually, like he normally did. He threw his backpack on the floor sloppily and headed towards the kitchen. He was hungry.

Everything was normal until he found his mother leaning over the counter top, crying. He rushed to her side as rapidly as he could. "Mom what's wrong?" She must've thought Alfred was Matthew for a second, because she had a delayed response in hugging him so tight he couldn't breath and crying even harder.

"Oh, my baby! Where the fuck have you been!" She suddenly became angry, still crying, but angry. Alfred had never seen her like this and it scared him. "I-I was having after school activities, mom!"

"Damn it! Stop lying to me!"

"W-what?"

"The school sent everyone home mid way through their activities because they found a decaying body hidden in the bushes by the school field!" She cried harder. "I sat here all night calling them. 'What do you mean he left on schedule?' I asked! I sat here waiting, _waiting _for that call. The one that would tell me my precious baby boy was dead!"

"M-mom! I'm sorry!" Alfred started to cry as well. How could he have mad his mother feel so terrible?

"Now your fathers out there looking for you!"

"Mom, I so sorry-"

"Where were you! Tell me now! No more lies, Alfred!"

"I-I was in the forest! With some friends, I swear!" It wasn't a complete lie. And Alfred couldn't be the one to rat out the tree house. It had to stay a secret, and his friends would never tell either.

Finally, his mother began to compose herself. "Your father's going to be very angry with you, and I don't blame him! . . . Now go up stairs, get to bed, and go to sleep. Me and your father will deal with you tomorrow." Alfred didn't hesitate at all as he ran up the stairs.

Alfred got to bed as fast as he could; he didn't even brush his teeth! He wasn't rushing because he was worried about his parents punishing him though. They didn't know how important the meeting house was, so they wouldn't take that away from him. And he _did_ have after school activities, but his parents didn't know when he had them.

They would ground him, and maybe take away his Nintendo, but that was it. _If_ he was asleep when his father got home. See, he was worried about two things: 1) his mother was very upset, and he didn't like her to be upset, and 2) if his father got home and he was still awake he'd get a spanking, and huge lecture that made him feel really really bad. And the hero didn't like it when all of his faults were being pointed out.

He ran quietly into his room, and of course he found another person crying.

"Dude, what are you crying about?" He threw the bed sheets off him and went to hug him as fast as he could. Going off about how mommy was crying, and they thought he was dead, and all that. But Alfred just pushed him back into bed as softly as he could. Matthew had been sick for about three days now. Alfred didn't care if he caught it. It was just that the sickness was starting to wear off and he should be getting all the rest he can get if he want to be completely healthy. "Hey! How could just doubt me like that?"

He gave him a very stern look. "You could've been dead in the bushes for we knew. You may be a hero, but your still just eleven, eh."

_That damn canadian accent._ "So what? Your eleven too!"

"Yea, but I know my place and -"

"Yea, yea, yea, but hey! We finished it!" The worried look was immediately wiped off his face. He was just as excited about the meeting house as everyone else. "What does it look like?"

"I don't wanna ruin it for you!"

"Fine, but wow! I can't believe the club house -"

"Meeting house."

"What?" Alfred told him about how they renamed it, but stopped mid way into a sentence when he thought he heard a car pull in. "Shit! Mattie, go to sleep now!" He didn't argue; getting up to hug his brother had already taken all the energy from him.

Alfred lied down hastily and pretended to sleep, listen to the conversation below him.

"_Where's Alfred? Where is he?"_His father said angrily, but underneath it was laced with concern.

"_Honey, please be quiet! He just got here a few minutes ago, but he's asleep now."_His mother answered trying to calm him down.

"_I'll wake him up."_

"_No! Just let him sleep, we'll deal with him tomorrow."_ Alfred imagined the look of shock and disbelief from his father. _"He deliberately disobeyed us-"_

"_He was just playing with his friends."_

"_But-"_

"_Fine! Let's go upstairs and wake him up! But you can do the honors!" _He heard his parents coming up the stairs, and put on his best 'innocent child sleeping' act yet. At first, his father bursted through the door loudly, but when he heard Matthew start to shift and whimper, he softened. _"Thank you, Matthew!"_ Alfred thought.

His father walked over to the bed. Alfred tried his best not to move, even though his heart was pounding so fast! All he kept think was that he was a terrible liar and he was going to get caught! But to his surprise, his father leaned down and kissed his forehead. Whispering, "You had me so worried." He did the same to Matthew and walked out. And as soon as He was sure they were gone, Alfred sat strait up in his bed, clearly shocked. But ended up chuckling to himself. Arthur would never believe he got away with lying!

Suddenly there was a tapping on his window. Three to be specific. That meant someone was trying to contact him by throwing stones at his window. He sat up as quietly as he could to open his window that was placed conveniently above the side of his bed.

"Hey, Tino! What's up?"

"Alfred!" He seemed happy he finally got his attention. "You heard about the news, right?"

"Duh, the dead body. My parents were gonna kill me!"

"Mine too, but they think I'm sleeping haha!" So Tino pulled the same card as Alfred, huh? He was even more thankful that he didn't snitch about the meeting house now. "So yea, that. But Michelle is moving!"

"Dude! Right after the murder? That's creepy . . . " Michelle was the girl from Seychelles that lived in between Alfred an Arthur. She wasn't that popular, but she was a nice girl.

"I know right?" There was a noise coming from Tinos' room that made him go pale. "I gotta go Alfred! I'll see you tomorrow!" And he quickly closed his window and closed the blinds before he could answer.

"Yea, goodnight." He said to no one. And just when Alfred was going to leave the window open, he remembered the murder that was so close to home. N-not that anything could hurt the hero! But . . . he had a family! That could get hurt so he closed the window, and locked it tight.


End file.
